Light, open and minimal

Tom and Alita Zabjek's Door County vacation home used to be a one-story, 2,000-square-foot art gallery. It had no kitchen, no bedrooms, no shower or tub--and no interior walls blocking views out windows stacked high up the 14-foot walls.

The wide-open feeling inspired the Zabjeks to head straight into the 21st century with a renovation that's light, open and minimal. The main portion of the art gallery, for instance, is now divided into dining and sitting areas with a floating fireplace wall set on a 14-foot-long limestone base (left).

The following slides show how Tom and Alita renovated the commercial structure into a sleek studio.

Dramatic interior

Inside, the plan to convert the gallery into a home was fairly simple: Use the majority of the existing space for a wide-open living, dining and kitchen area that overlooks Green Bay, and carve out two guest bedrooms. The Zabjecks also added 800 square feet for a master suite, screen porch and wraparound deck.

Contemporary design is highlighted throughout the home. For example, tall, angled fireplace (left) dominates the living and dining areas and mimics the off-center entry. The Italian "wave" light fixture above the dining table also brings in a sleek, contemporary vibe; an identical one hangs in the kitchen.

"So many Door County homes are cottagey, but we wanted something different," Tom says.

More striking designs

The gentle curve of glass blocks transforms a functional privacy wall in the great-room into a unique piece of translucent art (left).

The home's modern furnishings include tightly upholstered sofas, armless chairs, a glass-and-steel coffee table and spare accessories. A color palette of greens, browns and creams draws inspiration from the woods surrounding the home, while a twig-brown, pink-flowered fabric on slipper chairs adds a shot of color to the natural mix.

Guest room charm

Two bedrooms and two baths created from the original art gallery space provide comfortable guest quarters (left). The house fills to capacity when the Zabjeks' three adult daughters arrive with their husbands and children in tow.

Shady woods views

Open invitations

Want a more open-feeling room in your own home? Pull it off with the Zabjeks' tips.

Use less furniture. Built-ins add architectural interest while eliminating extra furniture pieces that might clutter a room. In the great-room, the two-sided fireplace wall divides dining from sitting areas. It has enclosed storage on one side (for a 52-inch plasma TV and stereo) and cubbies on the other to show off collected art pieces. Go bare. On the windows, that is. Privacy is not an issue lakeside, so the Zabjeks left most windows uncovered to enhance the connection between inside and out. Soft horizontal blinds are a good option where privacy is needed; they control light without disrupting architecture.Skip the trim. To keep sight lines sleek--and the eye moving easily through the space--the Zabjeks removed almost all trim around windows, ceilings and doors. They also have very few art pieces on the walls. "I wanted the eye to be on the artwork outside," Alita says.Give it some glass. Skip the dark hallway. A curved glass-block wall in the great-room hides the path to the garage while adding light and sparkle to the space.

Pictured at left: A sun-filled corner in the great-room beckons readers.